Chichester firefighters will be out and about in the city next week dressed as electrical items — all to remind people to keep their homes safe from fire this Christmas.
More than half of all accidental house fires are caused by electricity. And nine out of 10 electrical fires are caused by electrical products.
So to promote electrical fire safety, firefighters will be out and about (20-24 Nov) dressed as an everyday electronic device! Photos will be posted to Chichester Fire Station’s Facebook page and if you share the post and name the location then you’ll be entered into a draw for a prize.
Firefighters will also be at Portfield Retail Park, near John Lewis, on Friday 24 November from 9am-3pm handing out safety tips and tricks to keep the home safe.
A spokesman explains: “Our crews will be supported by colleagues from West Sussex County Council’s Waste Services which will ensure that residents also have access to advice about the safe disposal of electrical goods, including batteries which can pose a serious fire threat to both refuse lorries and waste facilities.”
Watch Manager Carl Halewood, who’s organising the initiative, says: “We wanted to do something a little different in the hope that it might capture people’s attention and help more residents learn about the electrical fire risks in their home. We’re delighted that Waste Services will be joining us to add to the information on offer and we would like to say a huge thank you to John Lewis, Portfield for supporting our event.”
The activities are all in aid of Electrical Fire Safety Week (20-26 Nov), a national awareness week to increase understanding of electrical fire risks and the simple steps that people can take to avoid a devastating fire in their homes.
